Counties in North Carolina by population under 18

Hoke County had the highest population under 18 of 100 counties in 2020, at 28.3%. Watauga County had the lowest, at 13.6%. The median was 20.6% and the figure for North Carolina was 22.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest28.3Hoke County
Lowest13.6Watauga County
Median20.6100 counties
North Carolina22.1History

Map of counties, 2020

Alamance County: 22 %Alexander County: 19.9 %Alleghany County: 17.6 %Anson County: 19.7 %Ashe County: 17.3 %Avery County: 15.9 %Beaufort County: 19.8 %Bertie County: 17.4 %Bladen County: 21.4 %Brunswick County: 14.9 %Buncombe County: 18.3 %Burke County: 19.9 %Cabarrus County: 25.7 %Caldwell County: 20.2 %Camden County: 24 %Carteret County: 17.1 %Caswell County: 18.3 %Catawba County: 21.5 %Chatham County: 20.1 %Cherokee County: 16.3 %Chowan County: 19.1 %Clay County: 16.6 %Cleveland County: 21.9 %Columbus County: 21 %Craven County: 21.2 %Cumberland County: 24.4 %Currituck County: 21.9 %Dare County: 17.8 %Davidson County: 21.8 %Davie County: 21 %Duplin County: 25.1 %Durham County: 20.5 %Edgecombe County: 22.2 %Forsyth County: 22.4 %Franklin County: 22.5 %Gaston County: 22.1 %Gates County: 20.2 %Graham County: 20.6 %Granville County: 21.2 %Greene County: 19.4 %Guilford County: 22.1 %Halifax County: 20.3 %Harnett County: 26.5 %Haywood County: 17.8 %Henderson County: 18.9 %Hertford County: 18.2 %Hoke County: 28.3 %Hyde County: 17.3 %Iredell County: 22.9 %Jackson County: 17.3 %Johnston County: 25.8 %Jones County: 18.6 %Lee County: 23.7 %Lenoir County: 22.2 %Lincoln County: 21.2 %McDowell County: 19.8 %Macon County: 18 %Madison County: 17.6 %Martin County: 20.5 %Mecklenburg County: 23.2 %Mitchell County: 17.9 %Montgomery County: 21.8 %Moore County: 21.8 %Nash County: 21.6 %New Hanover County: 18.6 %Northampton County: 18.3 %Onslow County: 23.7 %Orange County: 20.3 %Pamlico County: 14.7 %Pasquotank County: 21.5 %Pender County: 22.8 %Perquimans County: 18.7 %Person County: 20.7 %Pitt County: 22 %Polk County: 16.2 %Randolph County: 22.2 %Richmond County: 23.1 %Robeson County: 25.1 %Rockingham County: 20.2 %Rowan County: 21.8 %Rutherford County: 20.5 %Sampson County: 24.7 %Scotland County: 22.7 %Stanly County: 21.3 %Stokes County: 19.1 %Surry County: 21.1 %Swain County: 22.4 %Transylvania County: 17 %Tyrrell County: 20.3 %Union County: 26.9 %Vance County: 23.5 %Wake County: 23.9 %Warren County: 18.1 %Washington County: 20 %Watauga County: 13.6 %Wayne County: 23.4 %Wilkes County: 20.3 %Wilson County: 22.6 %Yadkin County: 20.9 %Yancey County: 18 %
  • Under 18
  • 18 to 20
  • 20 to 21
  • 21 to 22
  • 22 to 23
  • 23 and over
%, 2020. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2020

Hoke County: 28.3 %Hoke County28.3Union County: 26.9 %Union County26.9Harnett County: 26.5 %Harnett County26.5Johnston County: 25.8 %Johnston County25.8Cabarrus County: 25.7 %Cabarrus County25.7Robeson County: 25.1 %Robeson County25.1Duplin County: 25.1 %Duplin County25.1Sampson County: 24.7 %Sampson County24.7Cumberland County: 24.4 %Cumberland County24.4Camden County: 24 %Camden County24Wake County: 23.9 %Wake County23.9Lee County: 23.7 %Lee County23.7Onslow County: 23.7 %Onslow County23.7Vance County: 23.5 %Vance County23.5Wayne County: 23.4 %Wayne County23.4Mecklenburg County: 23.2 %Mecklenburg County23.2Richmond County: 23.1 %Richmond County23.1Iredell County: 22.9 %Iredell County22.9Pender County: 22.8 %Pender County22.8Scotland County: 22.7 %Scotland County22.7Wilson County: 22.6 %Wilson County22.6Franklin County: 22.5 %Franklin County22.5Forsyth County: 22.4 %Forsyth County22.4Swain County: 22.4 %Swain County22.4Lenoir County: 22.2 %Lenoir County22.2Edgecombe County: 22.2 %Edgecombe County22.2Randolph County: 22.2 %Randolph County22.2Guilford County: 22.1 %Guilford County22.1Gaston County: 22.1 %Gaston County22.1Pitt County: 22 %Pitt County22Alamance County: 22 %Alamance County22Currituck County: 21.9 %Currituck County21.9Cleveland County: 21.9 %Cleveland County21.9Montgomery County: 21.8 %Montgomery County21.8Davidson County: 21.8 %Davidson County21.8Rowan County: 21.8 %Rowan County21.8Moore County: 21.8 %Moore County21.8Nash County: 21.6 %Nash County21.6Pasquotank County: 21.5 %Pasquotank County21.5Catawba County: 21.5 %Catawba County21.5Hoke County: 28.3 %Hoke County28.3Union County: 26.9 %Union County26.9Harnett County: 26.5 %Harnett County26.5Johnston County: 25.8 %Johnston County25.8Cabarrus County: 25.7 %Cabarrus County25.7Robeson County: 25.1 %Robeson County25.1Duplin County: 25.1 %Duplin County25.1Sampson County: 24.7 %Sampson County24.7Cumberland County: 24.4 %Cumberland County24.4Camden County: 24 %Camden County24Wake County: 23.9 %Wake County23.9Lee County: 23.7 %Lee County23.7Onslow County: 23.7 %Onslow County23.7Vance County: 23.5 %Vance County23.5Wayne County: 23.4 %Wayne County23.4Mecklenburg County: 23.2 %Mecklenburg County23.2Richmond County: 23.1 %Richmond County23.1Iredell County: 22.9 %Iredell County22.9Pender County: 22.8 %Pender County22.8Scotland County: 22.7 %Scotland County22.7Wilson County: 22.6 %Wilson County22.6Franklin County: 22.5 %Franklin County22.5Forsyth County: 22.4 %Forsyth County22.4Swain County: 22.4 %Swain County22.4Lenoir County: 22.2 %Lenoir County22.2Edgecombe County: 22.2 %Edgecombe County22.2Randolph County: 22.2 %Randolph County22.2Guilford County: 22.1 %Guilford County22.1Gaston County: 22.1 %Gaston County22.1Pitt County: 22 %Pitt County22Alamance County: 22 %Alamance County22Currituck County: 21.9 %Currituck County21.9Cleveland County: 21.9 %Cleveland County21.9Montgomery County: 21.8 %Montgomery County21.8Davidson County: 21.8 %Davidson County21.8Rowan County: 21.8 %Rowan County21.8Moore County: 21.8 %Moore County21.8Nash County: 21.6 %Nash County21.6Pasquotank County: 21.5 %Pasquotank County21.5Catawba County: 21.5 %Catawba County21.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Hoke County28.3+0.1 pts
2Union County26.9-0.3 pts
3Harnett County26.5-0.1 pts
4Johnston County25.8-0.2 pts
5Cabarrus County25.7-0.1 pts
6Robeson County25.1+0.9 pts
7Duplin County25.1+1.1 pts
8Sampson County24.7+0.8 pts
9Cumberland County24.4+0.3 pts
10Camden County24+0.1 pts
11Wake County23.9-0.2 pts
12Lee County23.7+0.3 pts
13Onslow County23.7+0.5 pts
14Vance County23.5+0.6 pts
15Wayne County23.4+0.6 pts
16Mecklenburg County23.20 pts
17Richmond County23.1+0.6 pts
18Iredell County22.9-0.2 pts
19Pender County22.8+0.2 pts
20Scotland County22.7+1.3 pts
21Wilson County22.6+0.1 pts
22Franklin County22.5-0.1 pts
23Forsyth County22.4-0 pts
24Swain County22.4+0.5 pts
25Lenoir County22.2+0.1 pts
26Edgecombe County22.2+0.2 pts
27Randolph County22.2-0.1 pts
28Guilford County22.1+0.2 pts
29Gaston County22.10 pts
30Pitt County22-0.4 pts
31Alamance County22-0 pts
32Currituck County21.9+0.1 pts
33Cleveland County21.9+0.4 pts
34Montgomery County21.8-0 pts
35Davidson County21.8-0.1 pts
36Rowan County21.80 pts
37Moore County21.8+0.4 pts
38Nash County21.6-0 pts
39Pasquotank County21.5+0.2 pts
40Catawba County21.5+0.2 pts
41Bladen County21.4+0.5 pts
42Stanly County21.3+0.1 pts
43Granville County21.2+0.3 pts
44Lincoln County21.2-0.2 pts
45Craven County21.2+0.4 pts
46Surry County21.1+0.1 pts
47Columbus County21+0.6 pts
48Davie County21-0 pts
49Yadkin County20.9+0.1 pts
50Person County20.7-0.2 pts
51Graham County20.6+0.1 pts
52Martin County20.5+0.5 pts
53Durham County20.5+0.1 pts
54Rutherford County20.5+0.2 pts
55Wilkes County20.3+0.1 pts
56Tyrrell County20.3+0.4 pts
57Halifax County20.3+0.3 pts
58Orange County20.3+0.4 pts
59Gates County20.2-0.5 pts
60Caldwell County20.20 pts
61Rockingham County20.2-0 pts
62Chatham County20.1-0.4 pts
63Washington County20+0.5 pts
64Burke County19.9-0.2 pts
65Alexander County19.9+0.1 pts
66Beaufort County19.8+0.2 pts
67McDowell County19.8-0 pts
68Anson County19.7+0.1 pts
69Greene County19.4+0.3 pts
70Stokes County19.10 pts
71Chowan County19.1-0.3 pts
72Henderson County18.9-0 pts
73Perquimans County18.7+0.2 pts
74Jones County18.6+0.1 pts
75New Hanover County18.6-0.1 pts
76Buncombe County18.3-0.1 pts
77Northampton County18.3+1 pts
78Caswell County18.3-0 pts
79Hertford County18.2-0.1 pts
80Warren County18.1+0.1 pts
81Macon County18-0.2 pts
82Yancey County18-0.3 pts
83Mitchell County17.9-0.1 pts
84Dare County17.8+0.1 pts
85Haywood County17.8-0.1 pts
86Alleghany County17.6-0.2 pts
87Madison County17.6-0.5 pts
88Bertie County17.4+0.2 pts
89Jackson County17.3+0.3 pts
90Hyde County17.3-0.7 pts
91Ashe County17.3-0.3 pts
92Carteret County17.1-0.1 pts
93Transylvania County17-0.1 pts
94Clay County16.6-0.2 pts
95Cherokee County16.3-0.4 pts
96Polk County16.20 pts
97Avery County15.9+0.9 pts
98Brunswick County14.9-0.1 pts
99Pamlico County14.7-0.2 pts
100Watauga County13.6-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of total population on 1 July. United States: Census Bureau county population estimates by age; states and the nation are sums of their counties.

Uses the US age of majority. Not comparable with population_0_14_share, which stops at 14.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties (Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html

MLA 9

Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 June 2026, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_north_carolina_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: Counties in North Carolina by population under 18, 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/north-carolina-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest population under 18?

Hoke County, with 28.3% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population under 18?

Watauga County, with 13.6% in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population under 18: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings